Canada's top PR experts come to Winnipeg for the 2022 At the Heart Conference hosted by the Canadian Public Relations Society

WINNIPEG, MB, June 5, 2022 /CNW/ - Public relations and communications thought leaders, experts and practitioners gathered in Winnipeg on the ancestral lands of the Treaty 1 First Nations: the Anishinaabeg, Ininew, Oji-Cree, Dene, and Dakota, and on the Homeland of the Red River Métis. The Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) launched day one of its three-day hybrid "At The Heart" conference.  

CPRS National Board President, Cam McAlpine, APR, opened the conference, the first time CPRS has gathered in-person since 2019. He recognized that as Canada emerges from a global pandemic, managing a massive shift in our outlook on environment, social issues, and growing polarization, it is a time for communications professionals to support organizations to think differently about our past, manage our present and set a course for the future rooted in real action that leads to meaningful change.

For the next three days, delegates will discuss reconciliation, the erosion in trust, the broader issue of systemic racism and the need for a more equitable and inclusive profession and national association, that represents our profession and the people we serve.

Another theme that will be central to the program in Winnipeg this week will be truth and democracy, and a dialogue about public relations' role in it.   

"You might think: what impact can little old me have on the currents of history that sometimes seem to be pulling us down a whirlpool of despair?" said McAlpine. "The answer is that you can always make a difference. And in our profession, I would argue we have the privilege of being in positions to have an impact: on things like truth, information, ethics, and human dignity."    

Highlights of the day: 

  • Elder Geraldine Shingoose brought blessings to this gathering. Geraldine comes from the Bear Clan and is a Sauteaux woman from the Tootinaowaziibeeng First Nation.
  • 57 newly accredited professionals were recognized. The APR (Accreditation in Public Relations) is the highest global professional standard of excellence in public relations and communications management.  Employers and clients hiring practitioners with an APR are working with leaders in the public relations field that are recognized in and outside of the profession for their knowledge, experience, expertise, and ethics.
  • Also recognized, the 40 professionals that successfully passed the Public Relations Knowledge exam.
  • Presiding Officer of the CPRS College of Fellows, Daniel Granger APR, FCPRS presented the new College of Fellows inductees since 2019. 

It's not too late to be part of the conversation. Check out the conference agenda and speakers at www.cprs.ca/Events/AtTheHeart2022.

About Canadian Public Relations Society

Founded in 1948, the Canadian Public Relations Society is a not-for-profit association of professionals dedicated to the practice, management and teaching of public relations and communications. Comprising 13 local societies, CPRS' mission is to build a national public relations and communications management community through professional development and accreditation, collaboration with thought leaders, a commitment to ethics and a code of professional standards, advocacy for the profession, and support to members at every stage of their careers. 

Cision is the exclusive distribution partner of the Canadian Public Relations Society – National. 

SOURCE Canadian Public Relations Society

For further information: Manager, Marketing and Communications, Canadian Public Relations Society, 416-239-7034 or communications@cprs.ca.